Clouds among the Stars. Victoria Clayton

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СКАЧАТЬ I thought about it, I realised that Portia had not smiled once since her return. Bron wandered to the window, pointedly ignoring me, but I was too angry with him to be hurt.

      ‘Cordelia,’ he went on, ‘be a good girl and ask Maria-Alba to make me a chicken sandwich. I’ve got a date with a girl whose father owns a merchant bank. Just the thought of all that tin is making me hungry. Hello, what’s that bloke doing out there?’ He stabbed a finger at the pane. ‘Geezer who sold me the coat. Fellow with the birthmark. I paid the first instalment in cash so there can’t be anything wrong about it. He’s lowering the superior tone set by the gentlemen of the press. I’ll tell him to go away.’

      ‘No, don’t do that,’ we girls cried in unison as Bron made to throw up the sash.

      ‘It must be Bron’s coat he’s after,’ cried Cordelia. ‘I’ll run and fetch it, shall I?’

      ‘What are you talking about?’ Bron took hold of Cordelia’s arm. ‘Keep your mitts off my gear.’

      ‘But Dex wants it. He’s going to make us sorry we were born if we don’t give it to him,’ Cordelia explained. ‘You’re pulling my jersey.’

      ‘One step further and I’ll pull your head off. You don’t mean to say that you’re actually considering handing that ape my beautiful new coat?’

      ‘Read this.’ Portia gave him the note.

      Bron turned it sideways and upside down before finally interpreting the crude capitals. ‘Go and get it,’ he instructed Cordelia. ‘Chop, chop!’

      ‘I’ll come with you,’ said Portia, crawling across the floor towards the door. ‘I’m getting tired of this ventre à terre existence.’

      Bron watched Portia’s progress with an air of puzzlement. ‘What’s the matter with her?’ he asked me, forgetting that I was in Coventry. Dirk was so enchanted to find a human face at his own level that he followed Portia into the hall, pawing at her bottom and barking loudly into her ear.

      ‘Thanks to you, pretty well everything.’ I regretted breaking my promise to Portia but I was so furious with Bron that I found it impossible to keep silent any longer. ‘How much money did that brute Dimitri give you for an introduction to Portia? You ought to be ashamed, Bron! Selling your own sister to a gangster! She might have been killed! As it is, she may never get over what he did to her. How could you?’

      ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Bron put on his injured expression, to which I was only too well accustomed.

      ‘Where did you get that money I’ve seen you flashing about recently? Dimitri gave it to you, didn’t he? Portia told me you set the whole thing up. He raped her several times at gunpoint and kept her prisoner in his house. She had to let some other thug make love to her in order to get away. That man you got the coat from is one of Dimitri’s gang. You absolute bastard, Bron!’ I was shouting now. All the anxiety I had been feeling on Portia’s behalf poured out as uncontrolled anger and Bron, for once, looked abashed.

      ‘Is it true? You’re not having me on?’ Seeing my face he went on, ‘All right! No need to scream at me! Naturally, I had no idea he was going to do that. I just thought there’d be something in it for Portia. You must admit she’s never been exactly fussy about who she takes into her bed. Dimitri said he’d seen Portia several times in The Green Dragon and was crazy to meet her. It seemed harmless enough. Of course I’m sorry if he hurt her. But I didn’t take a penny from him, I swear.’

      ‘Where did you get that money then? I don’t believe you. I know what a liar you are!’

      ‘I don’t see why I should keep you informed of my pecuniary dealings.’

      ‘I’m going to the police. I ought to have done it days ago.’ I was halfway to the door when he called me back.

      ‘All right, Goody Two-shoes. But you won’t like it. I got the money from Derek’s last owner. He was mad keen to find him a good home. He said if I’d take the dog he’d give me a hundred pounds. Apparently his wife was kicking up hell because Derek barked all night and stopped the baby sleeping and she told him not to come home until he’d got rid of him. The poor bloke was desperate. He said he couldn’t reconcile it with his conscience to abandon Derek in the streets because he’d grown fond of him. But the missus was threatening divorce. Well, it seemed to me we’d all benefit. He’d be restored to domestic bliss, you’d have the dog you’ve always wanted and I’d have a hundred pounds. What are you doing? Don’t mess up my hair! I’ve just combed it the way I want it to dry. Look, Harriet, remember men don’t like girls who throw themselves at their heads.’

      ‘I’m just so thankful!’ I was halfway between laughing and crying. ‘I couldn’t bear the thought of you being a – procurer.’

      ‘Pimp is the mot juste, I fancy.’ Bron waggled a finger at me. ‘Let that be a lesson to you, Harriet, not to jump to conclusions. You’ve got a nasty censorious nature. Were you really going to tell Plod all my evil doings?’

      I shook my head. ‘Not really. I wanted you to tell me the truth. Dear Bron, let’s make it up. I’m sick of quarrelling. I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me?’

      ‘What are you forgiving me for, exactly –’ Bron broke off as something dark and voluminous dropped past the window. He pushed up the sash and put out his head. ‘There goes my wonderful coat. Straight into a dustbin.’

      We heard Cordelia’s voice from the upstairs window, yelling, ‘It’s yours. Take it and go away! If you wouldn’t mind!’ she added as an afterthought.

      ‘What a shame. I’m so sorry. But if you bought it from Dex, it was probably stolen.’

      ‘So? I didn’t steal it. Damn it, look at those reporters!’

      The press were jostling each other to get down the area steps. There was an ugly scene as they fought for possession of the coat. Instead of joining the scrum Dex was back at the lamppost, rolling another cigarette.

      ‘I don’t get it. Why isn’t Dex interested?’

      ‘Presumably, though you girls were so eager to fling my raiment to the wolves, it is not the clobber referred to in the note.’

      ‘But what …?’ Light dawned. ‘It must be Chico’s clothes he’s after.’

      ‘Where are they?’

      ‘I gave them to Maria-Alba to give to Loveday to burn in his incinerator.’

      ‘You muff!’ Portia was standing in the doorway, her expression alarmed. ‘You absolute fathead!’

      ‘I’m sorry. I just hated having the nasty smelly things around reminding – me.’

      ‘Let it be a lesson to you to stop bloody tidying up! Now we’re going to be made sorry we were born and I can tell you, in my case, it won’t take much.’ Portia put her head in her hands.

      ‘That does it! I’m ringing Inspector Foy.’ I went into the hall and picked up the receiver. It seemed like weeks until I was finally put through.

      ‘Hello, Harriet. How are you getting along?’ I felt comforted at once by the jolly uncle manner. СКАЧАТЬ